PowerPoint Presentation

Youth training and employment through the WESSA LEAF Programme

Project Background

In South Africa, the goal is to grow the green economy by establishing a path towards resource efficiency, low carbon and pro-employment . A big issue in South Africa is youth employment and with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic youth unemployment has risen. There is a need, now more than ever, to establish youth training and employment to meet the economic and environmental needs of South Africa . This also applies to the responsibility of South Africa to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations General Assembly. This project aims to provide youth employment and training ( SDG 8: Decent Work ) while ultimately greening schools and communities ( SDG 11: Sustainable communities ) through the WESSA LEAF programme. This will be achieved by implementing a green-space for the youth to manage which will act as a safe space to promote community engagement with the environment and sustainable best practices . This space will be set up to provide environmental knowledge linked to the curriculum (SDG 4: Quality Education) with a focus on Life on Land (SDG 15) and renewable energy (SDG 7). This will provide schools and community members with the knowledge and insight into sustainable living and the potential to replicate this at home.

WESSA International School Programmes

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Project Framework

This project will run over a three-year period. The first two years will focus on developing the youth training and businesses, the Community Eco-Hub and the Eco-Hut. The final year will be used to advertise the project to municipalities who will then take over the project funding.

Year 2

Year 3

Year 1

Community Eco-Hub 1. Biodiversity Garden 2. Insect farm and hotels 3. Walking trail 4. Recycling programme

Eco-Hut Construction 1.

Monitoring and Evaluation 1. Ensure sustainability

Using Eco-Bricks from the school competition. Example of sustainable living for communities to replicate

2.

Improvements 1. Based on M&E we can make necessary adjustments Advertising 1. Advertise the project as a living example of sustainability 2. Get a municipality to fund the project

Youth Eco-Guides 1. Youth Selection and Stipends 2. Training : environment, business and marketing, security, soft skills

Renewable energy 1.

Installing Solar Panels Solar energy workshops

2.

Rainwater harvesting 1.

Installing rainwater collection tanks to collect water

Stakeholder engagement

Youth Graduation

Schools 1. LEAF – Eco-Brick Competition

Youth develop their own businesses

Park Handover

Schools: 1.

Schools: 1. LEAF - Colloquium

LEAF - Renewable energy

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WESSA International School Programmes

Project Outcomes

• Establish youth training and employment through the WESSA LEAF programme (SDG 8). Youth receive the knowledge and skills to start their own businesses and develop their own brand through environmental sustainability . • Establish a Community Eco-Hub and Eco-Guides training programme. The park will be a safe space for schools and communities to engage with. Students and community members receive important knowledge on their environment with links to the CAPS curriculum . • learn about correct waste management and disposal while competing in the Eco-Brick competition. Students start realising green economy opportunities . • Renewable energy initiatives in the Eco-Hut and within schools promotes the importance and use of solar energy . The Eco-Hut demonstrates a living example of sustainability which the surrounding communities can learn from and replicate (SDG 11). • By the end of the project cycle a municipality takes over the project funding for the foreseeable future and we use the park as an example for other municipalities to adopt. • Establish an Eco-Hut . Schools surrounding the Community Eco-Hub

WESSA International School Programmes

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Year 1: Goals

Establish a Community Eco-Hub: 1. Location 2. Survey 3. Park Design 4. Park Establishment 5. Basic Income Generation

Employ Youth Eco-Guides : 1. Selection and Stipends 2. Training

Get schools involved: 1.

LEAF: Eco-Brick competition

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 1

Community Eco-Hub: Location

Size: • Relatively big (fit an eco hut, biodiversity garden, walking trail, youth employment)

Where: • Green municipality • Rehabilitated land (mining, agriculture) • Unused land • In an area where there is little greenery

Who: • Which schools can benefit from this project? • Which communities can benefit from this project?

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 1

Community Eco-Hub: Survey

• What does the school/community need ? vs. What does the school/community want ?

• What issues do members of the school and community identify?

• Is there interest in the project?

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 1

Community Eco-Hub: Park Design

Attractions: • Biodiversity garden (front and center) • Insect hotels/Bee farms • Eco-Hut: Save space for year two • Local Market

Vegetation : • Separate from the biodiversity garden • Attract wildlife (birds, pollinators)

Pathway • Long enough for a guided tour • Connects all the attractions

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 1

Eco-Guides: Youth Selection

Target established youth clusters :

• Train and employ 10 to 20 unemployed youth, aged 18 – 35.

TVET Colleges

•

• The youth will come from the communities surrounding the schools taking part in the WESSA LEAF programme.

Universities

•

• South Africa Renewable Energy Technology Center – courses which alleviate the need for training.

• The youth should express their enthusiasm and passion to work in this particular field.

Skills for Green Jobs programme

•

• All the youth will be required to remain in the programme for three years.

DHET – youth programmes

•

• Youth stipends will be structured according to year. (R5000, R7000, R10 000)

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 1

Eco-Guides: Youth Training

Environment Training: • Urban Conservation •

Security: •

Basic security training – trying to establish a presence in the park to improve community engagement with the park. Creating a safe space. • Basic medical aid training and emergency training (fire safety)

Resource Management

Business and Marketing: • Providing basic business skills to develop an income • Providing marketing skills to develop their own brand • What they can do to promote the park • Networking • Biodiversity: native plant, bird and insect identification • Alien plant species and weed removal • Pollution Control – waste management (recycling) • Sustainability – environment assessments • Renewable energy (solar) • Water quality assessments, rainwater collection • Beekeeping

Soft skills: •

Basic teaching skills

People management skills

•

• Communication: written and verbal • Team work • Research • Data analysis

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Year 1

Youth Responsibilities

• Complete all the required training as per the training programme.

• Establish the future needs of the park by consulting with park users and members of the community.

• Work with construction workers or landscape architects to build up the park while ensuring the environmental and conservation needs of the park are taken into account.

• Plan the landscaping and plant native flowers, shrubs and trees Organize the maintenance of the park such as watering and trimming vegetation, mowing grass, removing alien species and weeds, waste management and bee keeping.

• Work with community and volunteer groups to organize and plan events in the park such as school field trips, community workshops or planting programmes.

• Advertise the eco-brick competition and engage with schools in the area to ensure that the schools are collecting eco-bricks.

• Good time management and effective planning and budgeting to ensure equipment, materials and human resources are available when needed.

• Ensure that the park vehicles and equipment are maintained in a good and safe condition.

• Prepare proposals and write reports (investigations, progress reports, youth business proposals).

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Year 1

Community Eco-Hub: Establishment

Once the park design has been developed and the selected youth have been trained the park can be set up. Local construction workers can be hired to set up the park with the help of the Eco-Guides.

Biodiversity garden: Plant species Soil

Waste management: Recycling bins

Insect farm: Bee box, insect hotels

Eco-Hut: Leave space for the eco-hut

Landscaping: Pathway, plant trees, bushes, shrubs, rockery

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 1

Community Eco-Hub: Income

Walks: • Guided walks with the eco guides

Training • Offering different courses

Insects: • Bee farms • Insect Hotels • Products – honey, wax, silk.

Hosting Events – using the park as a venue: • Art in the park • Athletics events • Other social events

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 1

LEAF: Eco-Bricks

WESSA LEAF Eco-Brick Competition: • Get as many schools to participate as possible as thousands of eco-bricks will be needed

Incentive: • Stationary • White boards • Electronics • Plaque on the eco hut – winning school name, photo of school and how many eco bricks they raised.

Case Study: small home – 5000+ eco bricks, 30 000kg of plastic waste (eNkanini, Stellenbosch)

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 2: Goals

Build the Eco-Hut: 1. Design 2. Construction

Start a Renewable- Energy campaign:

Implement Rainwater Harvesting: 1. Rain tanks

Get schools involved: 1. Renewable energy initiative

Youth Businesses: 1. Youth start their own businesses using the skills developed over the two years.

1. Solar Panels 2. Workshops

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 2

Eco-Hut

Importance of Eco-Bricks This initiative promotes educating people (more importantly youth) to take

responsibility for their plastic use and ensures plastic reduction in land fills and

oceans. Moreover the Eco-Hut will be used as education centre where youth can

study, develop skills and potentially host-events (i.e. art exhibitions).

Advantages

Disadvantages

High Durability

Eco-bricks do not

•

•

• Last indefinitely (if not exposed to elements or friction)

decompose easily

• Can reduce 40% of cost, for construction material

No proof material has

•

• Can be reused by future generations

good compressive and

• Promotes environmental awareness

tensile strength

• Results in reduction of single use plastics

Easily Flammable

•

Zero Cost

Emits harmful gases

•

•

Absorbs shock

when burnt harmful to

•

humans

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 2

Eco-Hut

Youth

Schools School can use the eco hut as a teaching medium.

Youth that take part in the eco-hut construction will gain skills

Technology, Natural Science, Physical Science and EDG

pertaining to :

learners can come learn and view how the eco-hut was

Resource management

•

constructed.

Technology Development

•

Endurance and Physical strength

Learner can do activities which include :

•

• Building and Engineering Knowledge

• Making there own eco bricks and build there own

Math and Reading

structures

•

Memory

Reconstructing the eco-huts

•

•

Communication

• Doing Machines (i.e. investigating Force, Newton's

•

Experience with technology

third Law etc )

•

• Problem solving and decision making

Project organisation

•

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Year 2

Renewable Energy

This initiative focuses on making the park energy efficient as well as

educating youth with regards to renewable energy technology

Advantages

Low maintenance cost

•

Diverse applications

•

Inexcusable energy source

•

• Promotes technology development

Disadvantages

Initial cost for setting up

•

Weather Dependent

•

• Energy storage technology can be costly

Can take up space

•

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 2

Renewable Energy

Youth

Schools School can use the renewable energy section of the Eco-

Youth that take part in the eco-hut construction will gain

Hut as a teaching medium.

skills pertaining to :

Technology, Natural Science, Physical Science and EDG,

Resource management

•

learners can come learn and view renewable energy

Ingenuity

•

technology.

• Building and Engineering Knowledge

Math and Reading

•

Learner can do activities/lesson which include :

Memory

•

Making renewable energy technology

•

Communication

•

• Energy conversation (First Law of Thermodynamics)

Tech Knowledge

•

• Energy storage ( Circuits, wave mechanics)

• Effective energy implementation and utilisation

Problem solving

•

Project organisation

•

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Year 2

Rainwater Harvesting

This initiative focuses using water harvesting as a tool to combat water

shortages as well educating youth on effective water utilisation.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Easy to maintain

•

Initial high cost

•

• Water is free from pollutants as well as salt,

weather dependant

•

minerals and natural and man made

Regular maintenance

•

contaminants.

Easily contaminated

•

Independent water supply

•

Storage limits

•

Reduction in water bill

•

Water is suitable for irrigation

•

Reduces ground water demand

•

• Assists the reduction of floods and soil erosion

• Can be used as drinking water if correctly

harvested

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 2

Youth Responsibilities

In addition to the youth responsibilities of year one, in year two the youth will also:

• Work with construction workers to build the eco-brick hut and set up the solar panels and rainwater harvesting tanks.

• Further maintenance of the park: eco-hut maintenance, solar panel maintenance and rain tank maintenance.

• Learn about the potential of solar energy through renewable energy workshops to make different solar powered devices.

• Implement the renewable energy initiative in the eco-brick hut and park to bring renewable energy to the schools and community.

• Actively engage with schools and communities through workshops, training and educational programmes.

• Develop and establish a business using the knowledge and skills gained from the training programme and renewable energy workshops.

• Market the businesses and develop a brand using the park and eco-brick hut as a platform.

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Year 3

Youth Graduation: 1. Hold a ceremony to celebrate the youth’s accomplishments 2. Certificates detailing their achievements 3. Youth have 3 years working experience for their CV

Park Handover: 1. Hand the park over to the municipality 2. Use the project as an example for other municipalities to adopt

Monitor, Evaluate, Improve: 1. Ensure the park is running smoothly 2. Ensure sustainability 3. Find areas for improvement 4. Make any necessary adjustments

Advertise: 1. Advertise the project as a living example of sustainability 2. Youth help market the park 3. Get a municipality to fund the project

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WESSA International School Programmes

Year 3

Youth Responsibilities

In addition to the youth responsibilities of year one and two, in year three the youth will also:

• Host a colloquium in the park to showcase the accomplishments and LEAF projects of the schools over the past three years.

• Ensure health and safety guidelines are followed, monitoring and evaluating the safety and condition of features and facilities.

• Advertise and market the park as a living example of sustainability for communities to learn from and potentially replicate while also promoting park handover to municipalities.

• Attend a graduation ceremony to celebrate the past three year’s accomplishments.

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